What Happened on April 24?

The world's first cloned dog was born. (2005) The world's first cloned dog was named Snuppy by Hwang Woo-suk, the scientist in charge of the cloning project. Snuppy was cloned from the ear cell of an Afghan hound, and his birth process involved over 120 surrogate mothers.

The Woolworth Building opened. (1913) The building was one of the first skyscrapers, and remains an iconic architectural site in New York City. The building cost $13,500,000 US Dollars (USD) to build, which the Woolworth company paid in cash.

The Library of Congress was established. (1800) Congress passed a bill that allowed a budget of $5,000 USD for buying books that the Congress members might need. Though the library was mostly destroyed in the War of 1812, it was refurbished — mainly thanks to Thomas Jefferson donating his personal library — and remains an important reference library.

The Discovery space shuttle launched carrying the Hubble Space Telescope (1990) The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is one of the largest space telescopes ever used, and has contributed to many astrological discoveries, notably in the area of supernovas and dark energy. Unlike many other spacecraft, the HST is open for public use — anyone regardless of education level or nationality can apply for time to use it.

Spain declared war on the US. (1898) The US had set an ultimatum for Spain to withdraw from Cuba and begun blockading the island a few days before. Spain refused to withdraw, and the war began.

The Easter Rebellion began. (1916) The Irish Republican Brotherhood began an armed rebellion against British rule that quickly spread throughout the country. Despite the rebellion's eventual failure, it is still considered a major point in the history of Irish independence.

Hersheypark opened. (1907) The amusement park was originally only open to Hershey employees and included some of the most innovative rides and amusements of its day, including a carousel with over 50 animals.

The first tank-to-tank combat took place. (1918) Three British tanks met three German tanks in the first Battle of Villers-Bretonneux. Though two of the British tanks were "female," meaning they were only equipped with machine guns, they still managed to beat the German tanks, though the battle was eventually won by the Germans.

Vladimir Mikhaylovich Komarov became the first person to die in a space mission. (1967) Komarov was a Soviet cosmonaut; he died on the Soyuz I mission after re-entry due to a number of malfunctions in the craft. He was also the first person to go into space more than once.

Winston Churchill was knighted. (1953) Despite some rocky periods in his career, Churchill is still known for his strong leadership during World War II. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, and also received the Nobel prize in literature for his treatise on World War II.

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anon331679Post 5

The atrocities committed by the human race, upon its own kind, often makes any conscientious person ashamed of its human heritage.

anon243331Post 1

April 24 Day of Commemoration of Armenian Genocide Victims. Genocide of Armenians in Ottoman Empire took the lives of 1.5 million people.